As we all know, smoking is harmful to health! Smoking not only harms yourself, but also causes health hazards to those around you. And according to the data, the risk of lung cancer in a person smoking is much higher than that of normal people. For some people with severe smoking addictions, quitting smoking is not so easy.
Since many smokers become dependent on nicotine, it is very difficult to quit on their own. Medications (such as nicotine replacement therapy) and psychobehavioral interventions can help smokers successfully quit. However, at present, most smokers try to quit smoking without using any auxiliary methods, and the failure rate of quitting smoking is very high, and it is easy to produce frustration and even give up smoking cessation.
Below, we will briefly introduce several psychological and behavioral intervention techniques for smoking cessation, and I hope that family members who are worried about this can also help smokers quit smoking more effectively.
1. Margin deeds and incentives
Based on behavioral economic theory, one of the major challenges facing changing smoking behavior is intertemporal choice. The "costs" and "benefits" of smoking behavior appear at different points in time. Specifically, the pleasures of smoking behavior or the pain of quitting occur at this point in time, while the harms associated with smoking (such as lung cancer, etc.) or the benefits of quitting smoking (such as being healthier) occur at future times. In smoking cessation decisions, smokers are more likely to opt for an immediate reward – enjoying smoking.
To help smokers avoid the temptation of immediate rewards, one of the techniques commonly used by behavioral economists is to set up a commitment mechanism. A margin contract is a specific form of commitment mechanism. For example, a smoker who is willing to quit smoking voluntarily submits a certain amount (e.g. the amount of a 6-month cigarette purchase) as a smoking cessation deposit, which is kept by a person they trust (family, friends, etc.), and if they fail to quit smoking within the planned time, they lose the deposit; if they quit smoking successfully, they get the full deposit back.
Some researchers have suggested that combining margin contracts with incentives may enhance the smoking cessation effect. Specifically, in the process of quitting smoking, set several target nodes, such as reducing smoking by 25% in 2 weeks and reducing smoking by 50% in 1 month; without relapse for 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after quitting smoking, you can get a certain amount of rewards. Incentives can motivate smokers to start quitting, encourage them to stick to quitting, and reward ex-smokers to stay out of smoking and avoid relapse [1].
2. Gradually reduce the amount of smoking
Many smokers decide to quit smoking and suddenly stop smoking on a selected day (e.g., the first day of a new year) or even the next day. That is, regardless of the frequency and amount of smoking before, you can smoke as usual before the quit day, but you can not touch a cigarette after the quit day. However, there are also feedback that this way is difficult to achieve, and may not be able to stick to it for a day.
Another way to consider is to gradually reduce the amount of smoking before the quit day. A plan can be made, for example, the current daily smoking volume is 10 cigarettes, and one cigarette is reduced every 3 days until no smoking is eliminated. It is also possible to limit the time period of daily smoking, for example, divide each day into three time periods of morning, middle and evening, and only allow smoking at night, without deliberately limiting the number.
3. Reasonable meals
There is evidence that hunger is associated with a stronger desire to smoke. Unreasonably reducing food intake when quitting smoking is not conducive to the success of quitting smoking. Low-calorie diets (such as vegetables) when quitting smoking are more likely to increase satiety and reduce smoking cravings than reduced food intake [2]. When quitting smoking, reduce the intake of high-calorie foods, try to eat low-energy foods to replace the desire for smoking, and avoid dieting to prevent increased body mass.
4. Regular movement
During the process of quitting smoking, withdrawal symptoms such as weight gain, emotional agitation, and inability to concentrate may occur. Withdrawal symptoms are most pronounced in the first week of smoking cessation and gradually resolve after 2 to 3 weeks. Withdrawal symptoms are an important reason for the failure to quit smoking, so planned ex-smokers should have a correct understanding of withdrawal symptoms and actively cope with them in the process of quitting smoking. Regular exercise (aerobic exercise or strength training) during smoking cessation has been shown to help reduce smoking cravings, control weight, and stabilize mood [3]. While trying to quit smoking, start exercising!
5. Peer support
The formation and maintenance of each person's behavior will be greatly influenced by those around them. If there are many smokers in your social circle, it is easier to form a smoking habit. Conversely, if someone in the social circle quits smoking together, it is easier for smokers to quit. Therefore, before deciding to quit smoking, it is necessary to deeply analyze the social circle of the ex-smoker, find a partner to quit smoking together and stay away from friends who smoke. Sometimes it may be less easy to find a partner to quit smoking together, and you can also ask the person who has successfully quit smoking about the successful experience, or invite him to be a supervisor.
At the same time, you must also practice the rejection technique when others hand over cigarettes, and think about how to respond in advance. The support of family, friends or colleagues is essential for ex-smokers, and a strong social support network will be a strong backing for smokers to cope with withdrawal symptoms and achieve successful cessation during the cessation process.
bibliography:
1. Niu Lu. Want to quit smoking? These supports can not be less[J].Popular Health, 2021(05):28-29.
2. AveyardP, LycettD, FarleyA．Managing smoking cessation-related weight gain[J]．Pol Arch Med Wewn，2012，122(10)：494-498.
3. Research progress on smoking cessation and body mass change. Qin Rui,Liu Chao,Cheng Anqi,et al. International Respiratory Journal,2021,41(18):1404-1408.